Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter by Ms Samantha Ali captioned “All the union leaders must recommit themselves” (08.01.18), in which it is said the “TUC is not a trade union.” This is not true. The TUC is a registered union under the Trade Union Act of Guyana. Ali’s compulsion, almost obsession, to misrepresent reality, attack persons, the unions and male leadership and defend Ms Burton is confounding.
A question was specifically directed to Ms Burton wanting to know “if she identifies with the workers’ plight, and what she plans to do to confront the situation and change the rising anger?” My question arose from her interview with Stabroek News/ Guyana Review (November 28, 2007). As elected president for a three-year term Ms Burton’s thoughts and actions/inactions will influence the union over the next three years. The best person then to answer the question is Ms Burton.
Ms Ali is pushing herself on the public and denying Ms Burton the opportunity to interact with workers. The office of the TUC president and the business of the trade union have to be taken seriously. Not any Tom, Dick or June can feel s/he can speak on the president’s behalf.
The continued tirades raise the following questions:
1. Is Samantha Ali authorized to speak on Ms Burton’s behalf?
2. Is Samantha Ali using my question to further divide and weaken the trade union?
3. Does Samantha Ali have a grudge with males in the union leadership and is capitalizing on the opportunity to settle scores?
Efforts to ascertain whether Ms Ali is an officer of a union, speaking on behalf of the union, verification to the TUC and PTWU, unions headed by Ms Burton, revealed Ms Ali is not an officer, is unknown by the unions and does not work with either union. It could not be confirmed if Ms Ali is authorized to speak on Ms Burton’s behalf. Given this information, Ms Ali’s letters will not be seen as representative of the TUC or President Gillian Burton unless told otherwise.
Mr Editor, kindly solicit an answer to my question from Ms Burton (I am resubmitting my first letter). Similarly, efforts will be made to get my question to the TUC to give the president an opportunity to answer. Thereafter the answer(s) will be shared with the public who have been following the conversations.
Yours faithfully,
Martin Roberts
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Ms Gillian Burton, the President of the Trades Union Congress, for any comments she may wish to make.